Verified Document

Personal And Family Finance: The Research Paper

Pay the regular, family expenses from one salary, rather than from both salaries as 'insurance' for the rainy day that will inevitable come. Families must need to engage in regular 'financial fire drills' -- doing a preliminary audit of expenses, to make sure they can still remain solvent with their heads above water, provided they face some unexpected circumstance or simply a downturn in the economy, as is occurring today because of the increased price of gas and looming recession. According to Warren's companion book All Your Worth, families must clearly distinguish in their budgets from 'Must Haves,' such as rent, mortgage, gas, food, and car payments, with 'Wants,' or extraneous expenses. If 'Must Haves' exceed 65% of the family budget, the family is courting disaster, given that one financial setback could mean a loss of shelter, transportation, and basic necessities. Warren does not blame spendthrift families or selfish women, it should be noted. Warren believes that requiring more stringent standards to obtain mortgages of any kind is essential, so couples do not take on more debt than they can handle. She also advises against such tempting schemes as refinancing a home to pay for luxuries or even living expenses. Warren calls for...

But ultimately she stresses that it is the consumer's responsibility to distinguish between necessities and luxuries, and above all to keep in mind the danger of buying necessities that function as luxuries, by purchasing that large SUV, for example, when a used Corolla might suffice. Some of the ideological tone of her work may make feminists uncomfortable, but viewed from a purely financial standpoint, boiled down to its barest essence, Warren is suggesting that to live below one's means and prepare for potential financial setbacks are important steps on the road to financial security. She does not even state that women should turn back the clock and head home, acknowledging the changes that have occurred in the American economy are irreversible, but she does say that both men and women must have a realistic point-of-view of what they can afford, for better or for worse.
Works Cited

Warren, Elizabeth with Amelia Warren Tyagi. All Your Worth. Free Press, 2006.

Warren, Elizabeth with Amelia Warren Tyagi. The Two Income Trap. Basic Books, 2003.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Warren, Elizabeth with Amelia Warren Tyagi. All Your Worth. Free Press, 2006.

Warren, Elizabeth with Amelia Warren Tyagi. The Two Income Trap. Basic Books, 2003.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Family Resource Management in USA Family Resource
Words: 1089 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Family Resource Management in USA Family Resource Management Family resource management is a way or a series of steps that help a family organize their resources in a way which benefits them the most. Some people misunderstand this concept as personal finance but in reality family resource management encompasses the management of not only personal but the whole family's financial and cognitive skills. A family with a good knows how on the

Personal Bankruptcy
Words: 1885 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Personal Bankruptcy The context of challenging economic times has resulted in sharp increases in the rates of personal bankruptcies filed in the United States (Athreya, 2004). Personal bankruptcy happens when individuals use credit to obtain assets which they are not able to fully pay for because of growing debts due to interest. Interestingly, households generally tend to increase their holdings of debt relative to income, meaning that as household income increases,

Family Resource Questionnaire Do You Ever Sit
Words: 398 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Family Resource Questionnaire Do you ever sit down with your entire family to discuss your important family goals? If so, how often do you have such meetings? Which of the following types of goals do you include in those discussions? Financial Goals Educational Goals Quality of Life Goals Personal Goals of Individual Family Members Do you include all members of the family or just the adults? If so, who is included and who is not included in

Personal Autobiography My Name Is
Words: 393 Length: 1 Document Type: Term Paper

I studied there for two years and then again relocated to complete three years of college at California State Northridge. My five years of education at these two universities, as well as my education in Australia have exposed me to many varied international peoples and has further broadened my understanding of the diversity of language and culture. As a student I am clearly focused on group work as an essential

Personal Finance the Issue of
Words: 648 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

It may also include goals concerning the attainment of education for the individual or their children. During this time the individual should establish both short-term and long-term goals (personal finance). The third step in the financial planning process concerns itself with detailing how the goals set forth in step two will be accomplished. For example, certain expenses may need to be reduced and certain investments may need to be made

Personal Finance Define Which Stage
Words: 4021 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

16. Help Rebecca and Jay apply four steps of the smart buying process to decide whether to replace Vehicle #2. What sources of consumer information might be useful to them? According to Auto Channel the four steps are: Determine your practical needs for a new vehicle, determine your budget and stick to it, determine your emotional needs, which car or truck really makes you happy when you drive it, and

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now